Juror Statement
OPA’s Eastern Regional was held at Eckert and Ross Gallery in Indianapolis IN. Eckert and Ross did a wonderful job of hanging the exhibition. The artwork was outstanding, presenting me as juror a real challenge. For the first hour I simply enjoyed the work, every piece was a winner. Then came the challenge of deciding which pieces would be awarded the ribbons.
As a juror I have my guidelines that include the elements of design, composition, use of medium and color harmony. To these elements I add my own feelings. Which pieces made me think, which made me smile and which told me a bit about who the artist themselves are. Some spoke to me on several levels while other simply said this is by a master, and there were plenty of masters in the show. Though there were only a few actual signature masters in the show, every painting in this year’s Eastern Regional was done by a master artist in my book. Congratulations to all those who made it into this year’s OPA exhibitions.
Winning paintings
About David Hettinger
Award winning artist, David Hettinger, began his career when he hopped a plan from the railroad town of Aurora, IL and landed in New York City. He moved to New York on the advice of Joseph Welna, owner of Welna Gallery in Chicago, having virtually no worldly wisdom, only a fierce desire to “learn what it was to be a real artist”. Welna began showing Hettinger’s work while the young artist was still attending the American Academy of Art, in Chicago. He directed Hettinger to study with David Leffel and Richard Schmid in New York and on how to earn his living as an artist from day one. With steadfast focus and determination, Hettinger made a name for himself as a fine artist and never looked back.
Related links
Visit the following links to learn more about the 2015 Eastern Regional Exhibition: